Battle of El Raton Creek

The Battle of El Raton Creek was one of the first battles of the Mexican Revolution, in which Rebeldes ambushed the Mexican Army army of Matteo Robina. The rebels killed or captured the whole force.

Background
President Ignacio Sanchez sent General Matteo Robina into Coahuila with 1,600 troops and ten artillery pieces, ordering him to meet up with a larger force at Saltillo. Robina's forces were forced to drag their cannon through El Raton Creek, having set up camp on 26 August in preparation for the next day's march. The artillerymen and engineers, plus some tough soldiers, were told that they needed to haul the cannon across a half-mile of mud and water to pass through to Saltillo; the flanks of the creek were all hilly terrain which was secretly a Rebeldes base. Lazaro de Santa, a Rebeldes lieutenant, ambushed this patrol with 800 men, and killed or captured all 50 men. However, one escaped and informed the camp, whose men were shaving and awakening. The Rebeldes were forced to strike.

Battle
Jose Casaroja's Rebeldes mounted raiders struck at the Federales camp and raided the tents, and they hogtied and captured Robina. From there, the rest of the Federales were forced to scurry about and find a way out of the ambush, and many surrendered. However, 600 of them were shot, either killed or wounded, as they fled through the waist-high water. Robina's men abandoned their orders to defend the cannon pieces and fled in all directions. The whole army of Mexican Loyalists was defeated, while one Rebel cavalryman was unhorsed in the charge. Apart from the horse, the Rebeldes had suffered no losses.

Aftermath
Robina was released after being stripped of his possessions. He was captured by Federales loyal to Abraham Reyes in March 1912 and executed in June by firing squad. The cannon at El Raton Creek were melted into a statue commemorating the victory, and the victory was used as propaganda against the government.